Bicycle-brake



(No Model.)

e; BSTEBLE & A. J. WHITE.

BICYCLE BRAKE.

No. 588,538. Patented Aug. 17, 1897.

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\ :as zc., PnoTaLprHo. WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT @EricaoHARLEY E. sTEELE ANDf ANDREW J. WHITE, or SANDY LAKE,

.PENNSYLVANIA j BICYCLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,538,4 dated August1'7, 1897'. Application ned nach 5,1897. serai No; 626,030. (No titan.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, OHARLEY F.- STEELE and ANDREW J. WHITE, citizens oftheUnited States, residing at Sandy Lake, in the county of Mercer andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Bicycle-Brake, ofwhich the following is a specication.

This invention relates to certain improvements in bicycle-brakes, andmore especially such brakes as are designed to be operated by the feetof the rider and the object of the invention is to provide a-brake ofthis character of a simple and inexpensive construenk tion which shallbe light and strong and which shall be adapted for use both as a braketo engage the Wheel-tire, the opposite ends of of greater'length thanthe arm 12 of said lesaid lever projecting in opposite directions beyondthe forks to form coasters to receive the feet of the rider, and aspring to hold the brake-lever with its shoe normally out of en!gagement with the wheel-tire.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of theconstruction, combina,`

tion, and arrangement of the various vparts of the improved brake,whereby certain important advantages are attained and the de- Vice ismade simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenientfor use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate our invention,Figure 1 is a perspective view showing thefront forks of a bicycle withour improved foot-brake in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe brake detached and drawn to an enlarged scale, and Fig. 3 is a faceview of the same. Fig. 4 is a face view showing a modified form of theimproved brake especially designed for use upon drop-frame bicycles.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1 indicates the front wheel of thebicycle, provided with a tire 2 and mounted in the forks 5in the usualway, and 4 indicates a metal band The bolt 6 servesnot merely for theclamp! ing of the band/.L upon the fork of the bicycle, but also acts asa pivot-pin or fulcrunr for the brake-lever lO, for which purpose saidbolt is made ofzsufici'ent length to extend through a perforated boss 9,formed upon said lever 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so

5 of the clip or band 4.

The arm 11 of the brake-lever 10 is made ver, and is arrangedwhen theclip 4 is in place on the forkV of the bicycle to extend across thewheel-tire 2 and project beyond the opposite fork 3 of the bicycle inposition to receive the foot of the rider, and the eX- tremity of eachof the end portions 11`and 12 of the brake-,lever is provided with aroughened or serrated surface to preventb the feet from slippingthereon.

The brake-lever 10 is formed at about its central part with a thickenedportion,wherein is formed a slot 13,`extending longitudinally of thelever and adapted for the passage of a shank 14, projecting upwardlyfrom the cen,- tral part of the brake-shoe 15, and provided at its upperend with screw-threads to receive a nut 16, by means of which thebrakeshoe is held in place to the brake-lever. In this way it will beseen that the brake-shoe is permitted to be adj usted'along thebrakelever, so as to stand in proper position between the forks of thebicycle 'to engage the Wheel-tire, this construction permitting thebrake to be applied to bicycles the forks of lwhich are differentlyspaced.

In order to hold the brake-shoe 15 out o engagement with the Wheel-tire2, a spring is employed, said spring being, as shown at 17 fthat thebrake-lever 10 is pivotally held or lfulcrurned upon the bolt 6 betweenthe head 27 thereof and the adjacent bent end portion IOt in thedrawings, coiled on that portion of the bolt G between the lugs 5 uponthe ends of the band i and having one end engaged with one of said lugsand its opposite end engaged, as indicated at 18, with the short arm 12of the brake-lever, so as to hold said arm normally depressed and thelonger arm 11, Whereon the brake-shoe is carried, raised.

The improved brake constructed as above described is extremely simpleand inexpensive, and is, moreover, very powerful, the iucreased lengthof the arm 1l of the brake-lever increasing the leverage exerted by thefoot of the rider very considerably. Moreover, the device is of a lightand durable construction and permits the coasters ordinarily employed tobe removed from the'forks, the

projecting ends of the brake-lever serving in lieu thereof.

The construction shown in Fig. 4c is Very similar to that abovedescribed, with the eX- ception that it is designed especially for useon drop-frame bicycles, the saddles of which are usually lower thanthose` ot' the diamond pattern. In this form of the device the ends ofthe brake-lever are bent down, as indicated at 19, so as to extend downalong the forks when the brake is in position for use, and the lowerends of said downwardly-bent portions 19 are carried outward, as shownat 20, in opposite directions, and are serrated or roughened upon theirupper surfaces to form foot-rests or coasters.

Having thus described our invention, We claim- 1. A bicycle-brakecomprising a brake-lover having means to pivot it adjacent to one sideof the wheel, said lever being adapted to extend across the Wheel-tireand being provided with a brake-shoe adjustable longitudinally alongit,and having means for securing it in position on said lever,substantially as set forth.

2. A bicycle-brake comprising a brake-lever having means to pivot itadjacent to one side of the Wheel, said lever being adapted to extendacross the tire of the Wheel and being provided with a longitudinalslot, and a brake-shoe to engage the Wheel-tire provided with a shank toplay along said slot, and having means to lock it in position on thebrakelever, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bicycle-brake, a brake-lever having means to pivot it adjacentto one side of the Wheel, said lever being adapted to extend across theWheel-tire, and a brake-shoe adjustable longitudinally along it andprovided with means for securing it in an adjusted position, and saidlever havingits end portions bent to extend down along the forks, thenceoutwardly in opposite directions, substantially as speeied.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our oit-n we have heretoaiiixed our signatures in the presence oi" two witnesses.

@HARLEY F. STEELE. ANDREV J. VHITE. lith esses:

J. D. BAILEY, F. P. CRAIG.

